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MADDEN

“Our love is like a Christmas star—bright, beautiful, and a whole lot magical.” — W

I wake slowly to the soft light of dawn spilling through our satin black curtains, painting the room in a warm glow. I stretch, feeling the comfortable weight of the warm blankets, but when I roll to my side, I find the spot next to me empty. My heart dips for a moment, like every time she’s away from my body, but then, a sweet, buttery scent wafts through the air—something mouthwatering and familiar.

Waffles.

With the biggest fucking smile on my face, I swing my legs over the side of the bed, my feet brushing against the cool floor. I push myself up, moving toward the kitchen, where the irresistible scent of fresh baked waffles fills the air, growing stronger with every step.

Fuck, I love this.

I love waking up to a home. She gave me that— a home. She gave me everything and I’ll never take it for granted.

I once thought the American Dream was to become successful and be on top of the world. That’s what my father drilled in our heads every fucking day of my life.

But he was wrong. I was also wrong.

Money? Fame? That shit means nothing.

Willow is my dream. She’s the sun after a long storm.

My peace.

The sweet sound of humming fills the air making me smile.

It’s Christmas morning—once a holiday I dreaded, until her. She made me kind of enjoy the tedious holiday. Hell, she made every damn holiday feel special.

She brought magic into my life and love— so much love.

My beautiful wife.

Yes, wife.

We got married as soon as the media shitstorm died down and everyone forgot about my asshole brother. Like Perry promised, the media found another poor sap to scrutinize.

I then made her my wife in a small ceremony that included her family, her work colleagues and my team. It was simple per her wishes but so beautiful.

I could care less about the wedding stuff. I just wanted to make her mine for everyone to see.

And I did and now we’re here.

Making magic together every day of our lives.

I enter the dim lighted kitchen and the sight before me makes my heart swell with an outpouring of love for this woman. My woman.

Willow stands at the stove, her back to me, wearing matching pajamas—bright red with tiny Santas, just like mine. Her wild curls cascade over her shoulders as she stirs a pot, her movements effortlessly graceful and calm. I lean back, taking it all in. She’s spent the entire month turning this place into something out of the North Pole. There’s not a corner untouched by Christmas cheer. I might not care much for the holiday, but she loves it, and with me, she gets whatever the hell her heart desires.

She went all out, and with her mother’s help, they strung Christmas lights along the ceiling and windowsill. The lights cast a magical and twinkling reflection on the snow outside.

“Oh, good. You’re up! Good morning, Grinch!” My beautiful wife calls over her shoulder, her voice bright and cheerful.

Fuck, my heart.

Happiness radiates from her and it’s infectious. It always is.

“Morning, baby,” I reply, taking a moment to simply appreciate her. It’s a picture-perfect scene, the kind you see on Hallmark channel during the holiday season.

Tiny Santa-shaped waffles sizzle on the griddle, and a platter of crispy bacon—which she makes just for me— sits on the counter, steam rising from it. The air is thick with the scent of cinnamon, vanilla, and butter—a very festive blend.

A wider smile spreads across my face as I realize she must’ve woken up early to make all of this for me. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I would have helped.” I grumble.

Willow turns to me, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. She laughs, her voice light and lovely. “It’s Christmas, Madden. I wanted to surprise you! Besides, you were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn’t bear to wake you.”

I walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist, inhaling her sweet scent. “The best surprise, Wild One. Thank you.”

She tilts her head back, meeting my gaze with those big and bright eyes of hers that I love so much. “I thought it would be nice if we had a delicious Christmas breakfast before we open presents! Santa was very generous this year!”

"You were a good girl this year," I murmur, squeezing her gently. "Of course, the fat and jolly fucker was generous." She looks up at me, a shy smile tugging at her lips as a soft blush colors her cheeks.

So goddamn sweet.

“Madden…” her breath hitches in that way that always drives me wild.

Blood rushes to my cock and all I can think about is throwing her over my shoulder and taking her upstairs to show her just how generous I can be but I know she’s been looking forward to this morning all month— hell, all year.

So, instead of acting out my filthy fantasies, I drop a kiss on the top of her head. “What’s on the menu?” I ask.

“Lots and lots of waffles, bacon and sausages,” she teases, gesturing toward the table, which is already set with fresh fruit, cinnamon rolls, and a steaming pot of coffee.

How did I get so lucky?

My chest squeezes when I take everything in— all she’s done for me. For us. Festive decorations, twinkling lights, Christmas stockings hanging from the mantel. The smell of cinnamon and baked goods fills the air, and the warmth of her love wraps around me like a cozy blanket. “This is all so sweet, baby. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. You’re my favorite person ever and I wanted to make you smile today! We’re erasing every bad Christmas you’ve ever had!” She beams up at me before returning to her cooking, her focus shifting back to the waffles sizzling on the griddle.

While she does that, I pour myself a cup of coffee, savoring the rich aroma before taking a seat at the table. I smile when I hear the sound of Willow’s favorite Christmas song playing in the background.

José Feliciano Feliz Navidad.

From my seat, I look out the window and frown. Dammit. “I’m sorry you didn’t get the white Christmas you wanted, beautiful.” I say, taking a sip of my coffee and watching her as she moves gracefully around our kitchen. She has a Santa hat on now.

“The day is not over yet,” she muses, glancing out the window. The sky is pale blue, and although there’s no snow yet, my wife is still hopeful for the first snowflake to fall. “But even if it doesn’t snow, I think today will still be perfect.”

Fuck, my beautiful fairy. So, kind. So bright.

“This world doesn’t deserve you,” I whisper, my heart in awe of her.

“Sure, it does! This world is beautiful. It gave me you!”

Emotion clogs my throat at her words. I don’t think a day will come when her words don’t make me feel all fucking gooey inside.

“Eat! You’ll need all your energy to open all those presents!” She urges as she pushes a plate of waffles toward me.

“Alright. Alright,” I laugh as I reach for a tiny waffle, topped with fresh strawberries, and take a bite. The flavors burst in my mouth, and I grin at her. “Delicious.”

She beams, her eyes glowing with happiness. “I’m glad you like it! There’s plenty more!”

I grab another one and then it dawns at me that everything she baked is tiny as fuck. “Hey, baby. Not that I don’t love and enjoy your creativity but why does all this food look like it was made for an elf?”

Her laughter fills the air, making my heart flip inside my chest.

She then shrugs with a smile. “That’s a surprise!”

Okay…

“A surprise, huh?” I ask, leaning back and savoring the last bite of a mini strawberry. “You’ve made this morning unforgettable. Thank you.”

She leans over the table, and kisses me quickly before pulling back. “Stop thanking me and just wait until we open presents! Santa might have left a surprise or two for you there, too.”

Santa…

I laugh softly, my heart full. I don’t care for presents. The best present I could ever receive wakes up every morning next to me. I don’t need anything else. With her beside me, I believe in magic—the kind that lingers in the air, filling our home with love and joy. Willow is the best Christmas gift I ever and will ever receive. Nothing will ever top her.

Half an hour later, we both finish breakfast and move to the living room. The scent of fresh pine fills the room, and the twinkling lights of our massive Christmas tree, which stands proudly at the corner of the room, cast a warm glow over everything. Willow adorned the tree with shimmering ornaments, huge candy canes and tiny fairy lights that blink in time with the rhythm of the music playing softly in the background. Beneath our tree is a mountain of brightly wrapped presents, each one topped with a perfect bow, waiting for us to open them.

The ones that look like mother Christmas wrapped them herself are from Willow and the ones that look like someone gave a chimp wrapping paper—those come from me.

My wife’s eyes light up as she scans the gifts. “Okay, I can’t wait anymore! Time to unwrap!” she says, her excitement contagious. She picks up a tiny box, barely the size of her hand, and hands it to me, her smile widening. “Here you go, grinch!”

“What’s this?” I ask, shaking it lightly. The sound of something soft and crinkly inside makes me curious.

“Just open it!” she urges, bouncing on her toes, her face lights up with excitement. “Hurry!”

“Okay. Okay.” I carefully unwrap the paper, revealing a small box. As I lift the lid, my breath catches in my throat. Nestled inside is a baby-sized Formula 1 jacket, emblazoned with the logo of my team. I pick it up, the soft fabric and familiar colors making my heart race. I look back at Willow, completely stunned.

Is this real?

What…?

“Wild One… is this what I think it is?” I can barely get the words out.

She nods, her grin lighting up the room more than our obnoxiously large Christmas tree. “This will be our last Christmas as a party of two!”

A wave of disbelief and happiness floods through me. “You mean…?”

“Yes!” she beams, her eyes filled with love. “We’re having a baby!”

In that instant, my heart thuds like crazy. I leap up, scooping her into my arms and spin her around carefully, trying not to hurt her now that she’s carrying precious cargo. “You’re giving me a baby? Fuck, fairy.” My heart races, overwhelmed with emotion.

She laughs, holding onto me tightly and kissing my mouth. “Merry Christmas, Grinch!”

I glance at the tiny jacket again, imagining a little version of her dancing around our garden dressed in a fairy costume. A mini her.

Life can’t get better than this.

No, it can’t.

“Merry Christmas, fairy,” I whisper, pulling her close, knowing that this moment is just the beginning of our greatest adventure yet. An adventure we’ll get to share with our child.

And as if the weather is in tune with the joy in our hearts, snow starts to fall outside covering everything in white.

Willow smiles. “I knew it!”

She sure did.

And as the snow begins to fall gently outside, I know that this Christmas will be one I’ll remember forever because of her.

Because of my dream come true.